The invention relates to optical instruments, specifically to multiple-stage conical-lens concentrators which reduce the size and increase the intensity of solar beams.
Prior art includes the spherical magnifying lens which can be used to concentrate solar rays, and to the Conical Split-Image Microscopic Lens, U.S. Pat. No. 4,277,148, dated July 7, 1981, by the inventor. The effectiveness of the former is limited by the fact that it cannot produce parallel rays. The latter is similar to the disclosure in that it too consists of conical lenses and can be used as a concentrator by passing light rays through it in the opposite direction. It has three component lenses, however, and six sections (planar and concave conical, concave conical and convex conical, convex conical and concave conical) as opposed to two component lenses and four sections (planar and convex conical, convex conical and concave conical) of the disclosure.